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Merlin - That's a wrap! (Pierrefonds Sep 2012)

Last Day of Merlin filming 2012 featuring Bradley Colin and Angel 💙✨

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Skyward Bound: The Willa Beatrice Brown Story ✈

Celebrating Black History Month, we honor Willa Beatrice Brown, a trailblazer in aviation and civil rights activism. Willa Brown, born in 1906 in Glasgow, Kentucky, shattered racial and gender barriers in the skies and became the first African American woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license in the United States. Her unwavering dedication to integrating aviation programs and empowering future pilots through education and advocacy has cemented her as a pivotal figure in American history.

Willa Brown’s journey began with a passion for flying, leading her to earn her pilot’s license in 1938. Together with her husband, Cornelius Coffey, she founded the Coffey School of Aeronautics in Chicago, where they trained African American men and women, providing a foundation for the illustrious Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

Brown’s advocacy extended to her role as the first African American woman to receive a commission as a lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol and her political endeavors to integrate the armed forces, culminating in President Harry Truman signing Executive Order 9981 in 1948 to desegregate the military.

For those interested in exploring more about Willa Beatrice Brown’s incredible life and impact, the National Archives holds a treasure trove of resources:

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Could not rest until I made this

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Anyone have any good Merthur fic recs? I feel like I’ve read through the best of what ao3 has to offer me, but I need more!

I don’t do well with cheating or sad ending fics so keep them well within the silly fluff to hurt/comfort range. I don’t mind if its super emotional and sad at points so long as it ends well and is well-written. Bonus points if I get some Arthur POV ones.

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Tomarrymort Recs by aethon 🐍

Hi! Thank you for your interest in this blog 🤍 This is a rec blog focused exclusively on Tomarrymort recs.

If you're looking for Tomarrymort rec lists, keep reading! I will keep this master list of links updated as I post more rec lists to this blog.

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My standard list of rec list disclaimers:

• Please mind all tags and warnings on AO3 before reading (including CCNTW, explanation here). I strive to include a diverse range of fic genres and ratings in my rec lists, so you'll come across lighter fare such as fluff and crack fics, along with fics that may cover darker themes. • Recs are always listed in alphabetical order by title. • Because I'm reccing Tomarrymort ship fics (all ratings from G through E) rather than gen fics, I aim to find fics where both characters in the ship are a meaningful part of the story; there isn't significant focus dedicated to side ships for Harry or Tom before getting to the endgame ship; and the Tomarrymort ship is central to the story. • Finally, this blog is not a fic-finding blog, but please visit our friends at @findingtomarrymort if you're having trouble locating a specific fic!

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Tomarrymort Recs Master List

I. Longfic Recs

Part 1 — Tomarrymort Beginner Pack (10 fics) Part 2 — Intermediate Pack (16 fics) Part 3 — Advanced Pack (12 fics)

II. Themed Rec Lists

Harry-Raises-Tom Riddle recs (14 fics) Voldemort-Raises-Harry recs (13 fics) Omega Tom Riddle | Voldemort recs (9 fics) Fem Tomarrymort (F/F) recs (15 fics) Part 1 — Dead Dove Tomarrymort recs — Non-Con/Dub-Con (30 fics) Part 2 — Dead Dove Tomarrymort recs — Incest / Chan (25 fics)

III. Answered Asks

Professor Potter recs (13 fics) Professor Riddle recs (12 fics) Tom & Harry Co-parenting recs (8 fics) Creature Fic (naga, vampire, mermaid, werewolf, veela) recs (25 fics) Unhinged/Dark Harry recs (13 fics) Independent/Strong-Willed Harry recs (10 fics) 1940s-era Tomarrymort recs (23 fics) Tomarrymort crack recs (34 fics) Tomarrymort casefic/mystery recs (15 fics) (coming soon) Snake-Like Voldemort recs

IV. Recs by Publication Date

24 Tomarrymort Recs for 2022 (24 fics) Jan 2023 recs (10 fics) Feb 2023 recs (30 fics) (work in progress) December 2023 HP Rec Fest (coming soon) 23 Tomarrymort Recs for 2023

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Merlin Holiday Fic Recs (winter, xmas, yule, etc):

A Blizzard in Camelot by asilentherald

A Broken Leg, But A Whole Heart by every1isgay

A Gift for a King by A_Diamond

a gift for you, my love, this cold winter's day by merthurmagic025

A Midwinter Visit by lawgoddess

A Royal Christmas by flowersheep

A Very Merry Christmas by diversefandomer

all ye faithful by schweet_heart

Between Battles by daroh

blow cold the season by schweet_heart

Can I Be Him? by arthurpendragonz

Cold Spell by mornmeril

for years or for hours by rubyboys

For You To Keep by PunkPinkPower

Furs and Flannels by asilentherald

The Gift at Yule by Clea2011

How to Clothe a Stubborn Manservant by orphan_account [gen]

In Winter Enjoy by Black_Crystal_Dragon

King's Consort by sorcererinslytherin

Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe by vintagelilacs

the knight of wands by theythinktheyknow

Long Winter Nights by TyalanganD

Longing Floats Around You by seapotato

The Longest Night by Tayathestrange

Make A Wish by Tayathestrange

May I Have This Dance? by CreamyXD

Maybe We Were Coming All Along by sassafrasx

Melted Ice and Thermal Hearts by howshouldipresume

Merlin's Yule Gift. by rotrude

Merlin Loves Yuletide by RatFuckingQueer_67

Mistletoe by swiftonthedownside

Never a Day Off by archaeologist_d [gen]

No Matter How Far Away You Roam by lady_ragnell

Not so Silent a Night by archaeologist_d

On the Importance of Hot Beverages (And Other Methods of Keeping Warm) by A_Diamond

One of Us Is Lying by sinivalkoista [gen]

Possessed by Light by glim

Sacred Fire by cellist

Something Immortal by loser_angel

Sweet Dreams of Mistletoe by katherynefromphilly

That Shall Achieve The Sword by astolat   (gen)

The Thaw by RurouniHime

Tis the Season by archaeologist_d [gen]

Too Cold To Be Mucking Out Stables by Catnip_3 [gen]

Until Morning Light by myashke

What nonsense! by xancredible [gen]

with(out) you to hold by endoftheline7

The Yuletide Hunt by fifty_fifty

Happy Holidays! please feel free to add on more fics that you believe deserves recognition!

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When Mordred aka Alex Vlahos is featuring your Mordred video in his IG stories it feels like early Christmas!

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Merlin's Arc - The Ultimate Tragedy Post

I ramble here a lot about how BBC Merlin is a tragedy, how for me it was visible from the very first season, etc. But I've actually never explained in detail how I see it - and it's closely tied to Merlin's arc, because, after all, this is a series about him.

Merlin is a fascinating character. He starts out hopeful, ends up in despair. He has a negative character arc. You can write like a whole PhD thesis on it, so this post will be only a summary, bc needs must.

To me, Merlin's arc looks something like this:

(as usual, please admire my Paint skills)

Let me explain.

Season 1 - hope and uncertainty

The starting point for Merlin: young and hopeful, but also desperately lacking guidance. Unsure of his magic's purpose, slightly worried that he might be monstrous because of it - but not convinced about it. He needs a confirmation that he's okay and has a purpose. So he immediately latches onto Gaius' words, and then onto Kilgharrah's (despite the initial reluctance).

Merlin is also impulsive. He wants to bring change NOW. He wants Arthur to know about his magic NOW. This is an important thing to keep in mind.

The Beginning of the End: first shaking of Merlin's world. For the first time, he actually considers letting an innocent child die because of a prophecy. Merlin in s1e1 wouldn't have even considered this. This is a taste of what's to come later.

The Moment of Truth - Will dies, Merlin loses a person who knew about his magic and accepted him. Merlin keeps his magic secret for the sake of Will's sacrifice. This is not a tipping point, but Merlin loses support.

To Kill the King - Merlin gets persuaded to save Uther in a tragic series of events. He takes Gwen's words about not seeking revenge as a sign that he shouldn't seek immediate change of the system. From now on, Merlin will believe when Gaius says Arthur isn't ready to rule (even though it's not true!)

The ending point of S1: Merlin is still hopeful and rather happy, also happy to serve Arthur because he loves him, not because of prophecy. But already he shows very self-sacrificial tendencies. He's slightly disillusioned with Kilgharrah and there's already a dent in his moral system. He knows what's at stake: Arthur's life is extremely important to him.

Season 2 - Tragic decisions

The Nightmare Begins: Merlin's first tragic decision. Persuaded by Gaius, he doesn't talk to Morgana about magic, doesn't tell her he has magic. The situation is complex and there are no easy solutions, but I believe Merlin makes a decision here that ultimately will lose him Morgana.

The Sins of the Father: Merlin's second tragic decision. By saying that Morgause is lying - even if she actually was - Merlin hardens Arthur's heart against magic for the first time. Again, he's put in an impossible situation. It's clear that making this decision causes something to die inside him - he's crushed when people start congratulating him for being "an ally in the fight against magic", even though he tries to retain a jokey facade.

The Fires of Idirsholas: Merlin's third tragic decision. Again, an impossible situation, but Merlin already is so used to secrecy that he can't find any other solution than poisoning Morgana. This is the irreparable damage between Merlin and Morgana.

The ending point of s2: Merlin has moved from a positive protagonist to a morally ambiguous hero. He's made terrible decisions which caused a lot of damage (this includes freeing Kilgharrah). He also, cruelly, got a glimpse of happiness and love (Freya, Balinor) which then were snatched from him. S2 is the point of no return.

Season 3 - How far did he fall?

Interestingly, season 3 doesn't bring big tipping points for Merlin, but instead, demonstrates how low he's gone so far. This is demonstrated in 2 episodes:

The Crystal Cave: this episode is like the whole show in a nutshell. Merlin wants to prevent the future, but he makes it happen. This shows how caught-up in the prophecy and destiny he is already. He doesn't seem to learn from this.

The Sorcerer's Shadow: Gilli rightfully points out that Merlin has forgotten who he really is. He's no longer fighting for magic. Merlin tries to establish moral superiority over Gilli in this ep, but imho even though Gilli is far from perfect, he's right and Merlin's wrong.

But there's some unexpected hope in s3, too. Ironically, Morgana's machinations bring about Arthur's rule, with some needed changes in form of knighting the commoners and bringing together a group of allies. Lancelot and Gwaine come as Merlin's support. There is more hope, but Arthur's Golden Age is slightly warped: Uther still lives, and magic is off the table: Merlin no longer fights for it, prefers to stay in the shadow.

Season 4 - Merlin breaks

The starting point is hopeful, just as s3 ended cautiously hopeful. But it immediately ends.

The Darkest Hour: Lancelot dies. Yet another person who shared Merlin's secret is taken from him. Merlin has conversations with Lancelot before his death about how his magic doesn't make him a monster. From now on, there will be no Lancelot to listen to this.

The Wicked Day: another tragic decision. The beginning of Arthur's reign, even though it brings hope, is marred by the further hardening of his heart against magic. This was the last time Merlin even tried to fight for his rights.

Lancelot du Lac: this might be an unpopular opinion, but imho, THIS IS THE EPISODE WHERE MERLIN BREAKS BEYOND REPAIR. Lancelot is brought back, only for it to turn out to be Morgana's cruel trick. Arthur and Gwen split up, Agravaine triumphs. Merlin and Gwen's friendship ends and is never repaired! Gwen later reconciles with Arthur, but not with Merlin - in s3, when Gwen was accused of enchantment, Merlin was ready to go with her into exile. Now, he stays behind, looks at her with a cold face, and doesn't even hug her. From now on, Merlin retreats into himself, pushing away Gwaine and everyone who's still friendly towards him - apart from Arthur, whom he starts to serve obsessively, like a snake in the shadows.

Sword in the Stone: very ironic episode. Iconic moment and a hopeful one from a viewer's POV, but from Merlin's, this is further proof that he's a manipulator. In the whole episode, Merlin is very morally dubious: takes away Arthur's will, manipulates him with a powerful myth (even if it serves a good cause), uses dark magic - puppet-burning - to take away Morgana's magic. Merlin is in the full "Merlin from the legends" mode. He doesn't believe in morality anymore

Season 5 - Lowest point

No wonder Merlin in s5 is at his lowest. It doesn't come out of nowhere. Merlin is no longer a positive character! He's obsessive, paranoid, only focused on destiny. Merlin in s5 is an antagonist to Mordred and to Arthur's goodwill! He basically influences Arthur into making bad decisions!

The Disir: this feels like another tragic decision, but really, this was long coming. When you think about it for a moment, it's obvious that Merlin no longer cares about magic. But the scene of his choice feels tragic because this is literally the last moment where he can still make a good decision.

The Drawing of the Dark: yet another "crystal cave" moment in which Merlin brings about Arthur's doom even if he tries not to.

The Diamond of the Day: Balinor is a deus ex machina which prevents the whole series from being a complete Shakespearean tragedy. He reminds Merlin of who he really is; he doesn't speak about destiny and prophecy, but about magic as a benevolent force. For the first time since s2, Merlin does gentle magic (the butterfly). The conversation with Balinor allows Merlin to finally master the crystals in the Crystal Cave, to destroy Arthur's enemies, and to come clean and reconcile with Arthur. It doesn't prevent his death, though.

So here we have it. The brilliant thing about the writing of Merlin's arc is that the seeds of darkness have been in him from the beginning - but if he was given different guidance, they might have stayed hidden, instead of coming into forefront.

Please, give this post some love if you managed to read that far. I know it hurts, but it hurts so good.

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I love "Merlin crossdressing for plot reasons" fics lmao

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bbc merlin + live commentary masterpost

aka ren and friends watch merlin

in which yours truly and two of her closest, most chaotic friends react to a clumsy wizard and his himbo king, then find our commentary funny enough to meme it and post it on the internet for fellow merlin enjoyers to receive a sensible (or not-so-sensible) chuckle

just an FYI:

this is my fourth re-watch of the series (more or less)

this live commentary began when @macaritaville (Mac) and I discovered we had both been into bbc merlin when we were growing up and decided to rewatch it together

Mac had only watched until 4x10, so series 5 is completely new to him.

@1kitwonder (Kit) joined us at 4x01 and has never seen the show before in their life so EVERYTHING is completely new to him lmao (he caught up before joining us)

FYI - to clear up potential confusion - @/gabbaghouls and @/macaritaville are both Mac. He started a new blog, so the @ changes mid-series 5. Also, @/witchboykit and @/1kitwonder are both Kit, he recently changed his username.

this masterpost will be subjected to edits/updates as we continue

Series 1:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11

Series 2:

Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21| Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24

Series 3:

Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38

Series 4:

Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51

Series 5:

Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60

bonus sets/outtakes that are important to me personally:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

All:

from most recent to oldest

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@Fanfic writers:

My friend send me this link, is a series on a profile on Ao3 (tumblr) that has different tutorials to insert things to fanfics via html code, I thought I would share bc it’s really cool

Lists of tutorials:

How to make images fit in mobile browsers

This is a tutorial/live example on how to make large images fit on mobile browsers but remain normal size on desktop browsers.

How to mimic letters, fliers, and stationery without using images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic the look of letters, fliers, and stationery (as well as other forms of written media) without using images. For all your epistolary fic needs.

How to make a “choose your own adventure” Fic

This is a tutorial/live example on how to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" fic. While this has been explained before (see here), this particular tutorial shows you how to use a work skin to hide the next parts from the reader until they click through to get to them.

How to make linked footnotes on Ao3

This is a live example of how an author can create linked footnotes in their work with only a little bit of HTML and no workskins required. This is best viewed by clicking "Entire Work". While I've included the actual coding in bold and italic once you click "Hide Creator's Style", there's a more detailed explanation here.

How to change text on Ao3 when the cursor is hovering over it (or clicked on mobile)

This a tutorial/live example on how to have text change or appear once a cursor is hovering over it. Helpful for pop-up spoilers, language translations, quick author's notes, etc.

How to mimic author’s notes and Kudos/Comment buttons

Anonymous on tumblr: do you have a skin that would mimic the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons section from the end of a fic? the desired effect being that the fic could go on after the “end” of the fic, so after the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons

Here's a tutorial/live example to do just that, with some of the buttons actually functioning. I'll explain more inside!

How to wrap text around images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to align images to the left or right of the screen and have text wrap around them.

How to mimic email windows

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic email windows on AO3 without the need to use images.

How to make ios text messages on Ao3

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic iOS text messages on AO3 without the need to use images. There's also a chapter on how to have emojis displayed on AO3 as well.

How to make Customized page deviders

Bored with the default page dividers? This is a tutorial/live example on how customize your page dividers with no images needed (though I do show you how you could use images if you wanted to do such a thing).

How to make invisible text (That can be highlighted)

This is a live example how to make invisible text that can only be seen by highlighting the text. Tutorial is included in text, and you can always leave comments about questions you may have.

MOBILE USERS: Sadly, this probably won't work for you, since highlighting in a mobile browser is different than web. I've tried correcting this, but have yet to find a solution.

How to make a rounded playlist

Original coding and design is from layouttest. I make no claims for it, just tweaked it so it will work on AO3.

How to create notebook lined paper on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of lined notebook paper in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

Sticky notes on Ao3 without using images

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of sticky notes (aka Post-Its) in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make deadpool’s thinking thinking boxes on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of Deadpool's thinking boxes in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make newspaper articles on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of a newspaper article in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

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One of my favorite things about Pride and Prejudice is the Bennet family’s complete cluelessness about Darcy and Elizabeth. Like, if this were a tv show about the Bennets, Darcy and Elizabeth are like, the D storyline. The whole family is trying to get Jane and Bingley together, the regiment is stationed in Meryton, Mr. Collins is taking the house, Lydia and Wickham are obviously the climax, these people have a lot going on. And then, once the regiment has left and Jane and Lydia and Mr. Collins are married and everything seems resolved: plot twist! They’ve got random nobility at the door in the middle of the night telling the know-it-all sister who has been home on and off through the year not to marry the rando rich guy they all hate simply because they’re family and loyal to each other damnit and he called the know-it-all sister ugly once. 

And then, of course, they all find out Lizzy and Darcy are actually very in love and literally all of the good things that have happened to them this year are a direct consequence of Darcy loving Lizzy lolol. 

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Aebleskiver Recipe – Danish Pancake Balls

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❤️😎

Some Merlin BTS I love because they look like snapshots of their life's in the show we never got to see :'))

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Strawberry Brownie Cheesecake

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Sorry if it’s a little cramped- had to make this all fit in ten photos. Hope you guys like it….. and again…. sorry Andrew

Follow me on Webtoons

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#yummy #scrumptious

Small Batch Brownie Cookies